JUSTICE: Study Shows Schools Rank Terribly

Putnam County School officials are fond of saying that our schools rank among the highest in West Virginia.

However, a new study says the Mountain State’s Schools rank among the lowest in the nation.

Governor James C. “Jim “Justice is responding to WalletHub’s research that shows West Virginia at the bottom of the barrel in public education.

During the legislative session, the Governor wanted to increase teacher pay and avoid painful cuts to higher education. However, the Legislature failed to take action and the net result is no 2% pay raise for teachers and more cuts to West Virginia’s colleges and universities.

“This analysis confirms what the people already know: West Virginia needs a new playbook because all we do is keep pitching 50th,” says Justice. “We’ll always be dead last if we don’t make changes, that’s why I fought so hard for a teacher pay raise so we can fill the 700 vacant teaching positions across the state, but the Legislature killed that plan. I also did everything in my power to stop cuts to higher education, but the Legislature made cuts that were totally unnecessary. If we don’t invest in education we’ll continue to be dead last.”

Justice adds, “We are too blooming good to accept this. Our teachers are good people and they work hard, but we are losing them to other states due to low pay. If all the Legislature wants to do is turn their back on students and teachers then West Virginia will stay stuck at the bottom. It’s real simple, if we don’t give our schools the tools to compete then we’ll never improve.”

The Governor is challenging the people of West Virginia to ask their Delegates and Senators why we don’t invest in our schools or pay our teachers better.

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